Garden furniture looking tired? Follow this mum's lead with a smart £40 update

If you're looking for garden ideas or your garden furniture is looking a bit tired then follow this mum's lead and update it for just £40! 

Let's face it, our outdoor furniture has to withstand a lot, from the sun, wind and rain to constant use during the hotter months, so it's not surprising that after a few years it can look less than its best. 

However, Leanne Oliver, a hairdresser from Bolton, was determined to give her existing set a new lease of life.

Rattan garden furniture makeover

After trying to buy garden furniture online, and being scammed out of her money, Leanne no longer had the funds for a new set, so instead turned her attention to the old furniture she'd been making do with.

'My garden furniture was originally purchased from JYSK,' she says. 'I'd had it for years and it was in a sorry state.'

So, how did Leanne transform it on a £40 budget?

Before

The old brown-coloured set was still intact, but no longer felt in keeping with Leanne's style, so she decided to see how it would look after a lick of paint.

'I’d previously painted my front door in Frenchic paint, so I knew it would be okay,' she told Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK and LatestDeals.co.uk. 'Although my mum said it will never work, as the furniture is flexible so it's likely the paint will start to chip off. Knowing I had nothing to lose, I went ahead and used two tins of Frenchic Al Fresco in Swanky Pants.' 

'I cleaned up the table and chair first using Fairy Liquid, with help from my six-year-old son, then pressed the paint into the crevices with the brush.'

After

As you can see, the paint has not only given the garden furniture a completely different look - a smart budget garden idea, but also brought it up to date with a much lighter look.

'My son helped me paint the furniture and we basically applied it with no real technique, apart from pushing it into the holes between the wicker,' says Leanne. 'I put it in my friend's garden for a few weeks while we had work done in the garden, which gave it a good time to cure. It’s going great and is being used daily by our family of five and pets, with no chips yet!'

The furniture wasn't the only items Leanne transformed, with her garden storage also benefitting from some pink paint to tie in with the rest of the look. 

'Everyone has commented on how great the furniture looks,' she says. 'Originally I was looking at buying a new set for £1,599.99, but this only cost me £40: £20 for each tin of paint. I feel very accomplished – it definitely looks more modern than the dark brown!'

Would you consider painting your garden furniture – and if so, what colour would you choose?